Suspect arrested for slaying of Forest High School pupil

Gauteng police arrested a 19-year-old boy on Monday hours after he allegedly killed a pupil and stabbed two others at a high school in Johannesburg.

“A 16-year-old learner was stabbed and certified dead outside the school premises, while two other learners, aged 15 and 16, were taken to a nearby hospital after sustaining stab wounds,”  police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said on Monday evening.

“It is alleged that learners from Forest High School had a fight on Friday. The same learners met today (Monday) at the school and the fight resumed, whereafter three learners were stabbed.”

The police arrested the suspect in Dobsonville, Soweto.

“The motive for the fight is unknown at this stage and police investigation is continuing.”

The suspect will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

TimesLIVE reported earlier there were scenes of disbelief, shock, and grief as family members sat across from police crime scene tape that surrounded the lifeless body of 18-year-old Daniel Bakwela.

He was stabbed to death just outside Forest High School in Turffontein, Johannesburg. Grade 8 pupil Bakwela was killed during an alleged gang fight between the “STK” and “IDV” gangs.

Three learners were reportedly attacked and two were hospitalised - but Bakwela died on the scene.

Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said a preliminary investigation revealed that the "perpetrator", who is a learner, had provided the school with a false home address.

“What we have established thus far is that, unfortunately, the perpetrator provided the school with a wrong home address. When the police went to the address that we have in our books we established we have a wrong home address,” Lesufi said.

“But the family is assisting, is cooperating with us. They've taken the police to the suspect's hideout and we are quite convinced the police will do their work and arrest that particular individual," Lesufi assured earlier.